Power transmission



March 9, 1943. H. F. VICKERS 2,313,406

PQWER TRANSMISSION Filed Jan. 26, 1940 INVENTOR y HARRY E V |CKERS BY f f ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 9, 1943 POWER TRANSMISSION Harry F. Vickers, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Vickers Incorporated, Detroit; Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application January 26, 1940, Serial No. 315,692

Claims.

This invention relates to power transmissions, particularly to those of the type comprising two or more fluid pressure energy translating devices, one of which may function as a pump-and another as a fluid motor.

The invention is particularly concerned with power transmission systems adapted for pumping oil wells. Pump jacks for oil wellsin use at the present time are of various types, one such type which is coming into wider use being the hydraulically actuated type wherein a cylinder and piston hydraulic motor situated directly over the well is utilized to actuate the sucker rods of the well pump. Pump jacks of this character frequently utilize a separate hydraulic cylinder and piston forming a counterbalance reducing the power required to operate the pumping unit.

Many oil wells yield oil which is mixed with a considerable portion of water, and where the yield is of this character it is customary to provide a settling tank into which the mixed oil and water is passed and where the'water settles to the bottom leaving the oil to be collected from the top. It is frequently desirable to facilitate the settling process by the addition of chemical agents which are usually in the form of a liquid. Accordingly a small pump for injecting such chemical into the mixed yield of the well is frequently used. I

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved oil well pumping unit incorporating a chemical pump which may be readily operated from a hydraulic type of well pumping unit without requiring a separate power source for the chemrical pump.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a diagrammatic view partly in section of a well pumping unit embodying a preferred form of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary cross section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

' Referring now to Figure 1, there is illustrated a work cylinder II) which is mounted vertically over the casing head l2 of an oil well, the casing of which is designated as It. The work cylinder II) has end castings l6 and I8 through which suitable connections 20 and 22are provided. A piston 24 is reciprocably mounted in the work cylinder l0 and has a rod 26 which is connected to the sucker rods in the well. Mountediupon a.

suitable box-like framework 26 is a counterbalance cylinder 30 having end castings 32 and 34 in which suitable connections 36 and 38 are provided. The counterbalance cylinder 30 has a piston 40 the rod 42 of which proiects'through the end casting 32 by means of a stufling box and carries a counterbalance weight 44.

. The work and counterbalance cylinders are connected together by a hydraulic circuit which includes a pressure fluid pumping unit 46. Thus the unit 46 is connected by a pipe 48 to the connection 20 of the work cylinder l0 and by a pipe to the connection 36 of the counterbalance cylinder 30. Preferably the. upper ends of the cylinders l6 and 30 are connected together by a pipe 52 which also communicates by a branch 54 with the interior of the casing and the pump unit 46. The pump unit 46 may be of any suitable construction operative to alternately deliver fluid in one direction or the other between pipes 46 and 56.

A suitable automatic reversing mechanism may be provided comprising a pair of levers 56 and 66 pivotally mounted in the end castings and 34 and adapted to be actuated alternately by contact with the beveled ends of the piston 40 at the limits of its stroke. The levers 56 and 58 may be connected together by a link 60, and by means of linkage 62, crank shaft 64 and link 66 may be connected to actuate the reversing lever 68 provided at the pump unit 46. The latter may also be provided with a starting and stopping control handle 10.- The mechanism thus far described forms per se no part of the present invention andis intended merely as a typical hydraulic well pumping unit to which the present invention is applicable. For further details of construction of a pumping unit of this character reference may be had to the copending applicalocation convenient to the crank shaft 64, as, for

instance, on top of the pump unit 46. The pump 12 has a cylinder 14 within which a piston 16 is reciprocable by means of a. piston rod 18. The pump is provided with the usual inlet connection and outlet connection 82, each of which is provided with the customary check valves. The inlet 66 is connected with a chemical tank In operation, with the pumping unit 46 run ning and the starting handle I. shifted to running position, the pumping unit withdraws power transmission oil from the cylinder to through connection 36 and pipe 50 and delivers it through a pipe 48 and connection 20 to the lower end of work cylinder ill. The piston 24 and the sucker rods in the well are accordingly elevated while the counterweight M is at the same time lowered. When the latter reaches the end of its stroke the piston 40 contacts the lever 58 shifting the reversing linkage causing the pump unit I to deliver oil in the opposite direction. Thus the piston 24 i lowered and the piston 40 elevated, this reciprocation of the two pistons in opposite directions continuing as long as the' handle remains in the running position.

At the end of each strike of the work piston 24, the reversing linkage is actuated to shift the reversing lever 68, and at the same time the crank lever Si is shifted to actuate the piston rod 18 of the chemical pump. It will be seen that the piston 16 is thereby given a forward stroke when the piston 24 reaches the top end of its stroke and a reverse stroke when the piston 24 reaches bottom. Thus a predetermined quantity of settling chemical is introduced at each complete stroke of the main well pump. The quantity thus injected may be varied by adjusting the position of the link 86 relative to the crank 8..

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow. a

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In a sucker rod type pumping system for oil wells the combination with a hydraulically actuated well pump actuator including a work cylinder and piston assembly for reciprocating the sucker rod, power means for supplying operating fluid to the work cylinder, and means including a shiftable linkage for reversing the power means at the end of each stroke of the actuator, of a chemical pump for delivering chemical liquid, and means connecting the chemical pump for operation from said linkage.

2. In a pumping system for oil wells the combination with a hydraulically actuated well pump actuator having a reversing control linkage shiftable to reverse the actuator motion at opposite ends of its stroke, an auxiliary pump, and means connecting the auxiliary pump for actuation by the control linkage.

3. In a sucker rod type pumping system for oil wells the combination with, a hydraulically actuated well pump actuator including a work cylinder and piston assembly for reciprocating the sucker rod, power means for supplying operating fluid to the work cylinder, and means including an oscillatable member for-reversing the power means at the end of each stroke of the aictuator, of a chemical pump for delivering chemical liquid, and means connecting the chemical pump for operation from said member.

4. In a pumping system for oil wells the combination with a hydraulically actuated well pump actuator having a reversing control linkage shift- I able to reverse the actuator motion at opposite ends of its stroke, an auxiliary pump of the reciprocating Piston type, and means connecting the piston of the auxiliary pump for actuation by the control linkage.

5. In a sucker rod type pumping system for oil wells the combination with a hydraulically actuated well pump actuator including a work cylinder and piston assembly for reciprocating the sucker rod, a counter-balance cylinder and piston assembly reciprocable in timed relation to the movements of the actuator, and a hydraulic circuitincluding a pressure fluid supplying means connecting said cylinders, of an auxiliary pump and means operated by one of said cylinder and piston assemblies, during only the final portion of its stroke, for driving the auxiliary pump, the last-named means serving also to reverse the flow of fluid in said circuit.

HARRY F. VICKERS. 

